Why elect a National government that taxes and spends like a Labour one?

by SB on September 13, 2016 at 3:30pm

On Facebook, David Seymour asks why we should elect a National government that taxes and spends like a Labour one. In order to hold onto power and to gain the middle vote, John Key has been unashamed to keep old labour policies and to steal new labour policies. What really is there left in National to differentiate it from the Labour Party? There are charter schools but that is an Act policy. I think National has lost sight of its Conservative roots.

The National Party has quit hiding its socialist streak – it’s now boasting about it.

When Steven Joyce literally puts out press releases (see below) boasting about increased income redistribution, it’s easy to see why National needs ACT to put the right back into centre-right.

With Bill English safely overseas, Steven Joyce announced that the top 10 per cent of households now pay 37.7 per cent of taxes – more than when National were accusing the opposition of ‘communism by stealth’. Are taxpayers meant to think this is a good thing?

Once again, ACT has to ask: what’s the point in electing a National government that taxes and spends like a Labour one?

-David Seymour FB

New data from the Treasury shows that income redistribution across New Zealand’s income tax and support system continues to increase, with the top 10 per cent of households forecast to pay 37.2 per cent of income tax in 2016/17, compared with 35.5 per cent in 2007/08.

“This latest data confirms that New Zealand’s income tax and support system significantly redistribute incomes to households in need,” Acting Finance Minister Steven Joyce says.

“Higher income households are paying a larger share of income tax than they were in 2008, and lower income households are paying less – the 30 per cent of households with the lowest incomes are forecast to pay just 5.4 per cent of income tax, compared with 6.3 per cent in 2007/08.

“This is before the effect of redistribution from Working For Families and benefits. The Government has increased support for low income families to help New Zealanders through times of need. So at any particular time, a large number of households effectively don’t pay income tax,” Mr Joyce says.

If you agree with me that’s nice but what I really want to achieve is to make you question the status quo. Look between the lines, do your own research. Do not be a passive observer in this game we call life.